


Gently Rise and Softly Call

by bleu_bee



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Comfort, Dancing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 15:11:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15512574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleu_bee/pseuds/bleu_bee
Summary: Jester, Fjord, and Yasha have been returned safely to the Mighty Nien; however, someone is missing and the Nien's heart is full of grief. But there's time for that later, isn't there?





	Gently Rise and Softly Call

 

 

Getting them back has been anything but easy, so it seemed the aftermath was fitting enough. The mighty nein, down one and up another, sat around a table or two pressed together, weariness seeping into their bones and tears streaming down towards their ale. Mollymauk’s passing had not been easy in person, but the news hit the kidnapped three like a runaway cart, like a stray bolt, like the Stars had fallen only to strike at them for a folly they couldn’t possibly control.

Jester had long ago bowed her head, hiccups of sobs and broken bits of self loathing spilling from her like a kettle boiling over. She wanted to scream. It was her fault, it was all her fault, if only she’d been there- if they’d not been captured- a folly she couldn’t possibly control. Her crying did not cease, how could it? However, her broken phrases paused as Fjord placed a gentle hand on her back, causing her to curl in tighter but not knock him away. His hand, though he wished it steady, shook but left some semblance of far away comfort. Her mind scrambled for any purchase she could afford but time after time it landed on her memories of the other tiefling and she found herself sobbing harder and harder, as if her mind and breath alone could bring him back.

Fjord, seated to Jesters right, had tipped his head back as soon as he sat. He’d closed his eyes as the news was shared, trying as best he could to be a pillar of strength and only moving to lay his hand on his friends heaving back. He did not move an inch, save for the tremors that wracked his own body, until the moment another hand ran across Jester’s back to rest half on his hand and half on the tiefling. He allowed himself to pry his eyes open, tears he’d tried desperately to hold back spilling as his gaze met Beauregard’s. He bit his quivering lip, holding it still, and nodded, sniffing hard as he wiped away the small creeks that were borne of his cheeks with his free hand. A folly he couldn’t possibly control, remembering Molly and all their exchanges, their first meeting playing round his head like a horse fly.

Beau answered him in kind, nodding and sniffing and eventually looking away as her own creeks sprang forth. Her hand clenched under the table, cursing herself for slipping up when her friends needed her. She’d had her time to grieve, but still, the hole Molly left ached like a fresh wound. She too bent forward until thinking better and canting sideways, resting her cheek on Jester’s upper back, arms ghosting around her gently as her own tears began spilling faster and faster, ghosts of memories, ghosts of Mollymauk, and their last watch pooling around her.

“Bastard.” Was all she muttered, almost jealous of the sting.

Nott, bless her, was the only one still trying to talk Jester down.

“You know it’s not fair to blame yourself, he- Molly wouldn’t- so you can’t either, right?” She whispered, standing on her chair and reaching as far as she could over the table to offer a clawed hand. “Jester, he was happy, he was a happy person- he wouldn’t- we can’t blame-“ As the bout of blue sunshine curled in tighter, Nott felt tears prick her own eyes, sniffling a bit as the guilt of making Jester hurt more and of the entire situation settled in her stomach like a stone. She was about to pull back when a blue hand reached out and captured her own, much to her surprise. So as best she could she leaned closer and with as much heart as she could muster whispered

“We’re going to be okay because that’s what he’d want us to be, yeah?”

Caleb all the while sat back in his chair and he watched. He watched Nott, and then Beau, and Fjord, and Jester; and he wished the world he knew how to ease this unimaginable pain. He wished he could bend the world to his whim, dry their tears, bring him back. And maybe he looked to her for advice, maybe truly he thought she’d have any semblance of an answer, or maybe it was because they were friends. They were friends and without a sound maybe he knew how unfathomably deep this hurt went for her. They had been friends the longest. So with dry, stinging eyes and a frown to match he let his eyes fall on Yasha and he watched.

It was a brew of emotions that she had no idea how to begin feeling, expressing, dealing with. And she sat, surrounded by people, but so endlessly alone. She stared down at first, eyes gazing right through the garish patterns of his coat; his stupid, ugly, gorgeous coat. She stared through the bloodstains, stared through the memories, stared through. It hardly felt like he was gone; at any second he’d come waltzing in the door, grinning and laughing and breathing. So when finally raised her gaze that’s where she looked, watching the door with rapt attention. Nothing, not even a hint of breeze. Despite herself she felt her throat tighten and only pulled her eyes away to meet Caleb’s. She knew she looked hollow, empty, a creature of stone. A folly she couldn't possibly control.

So perhaps that’s why when she stood her chair blew backwards with a crash and clatter, perhaps that’s why she took her great sword and stuck it into the floorboards enough for it to stand, maybe that’s why she draped his coat over it with all the care in the world. Because Yasha was a great many things, but if Mollymauk had taught her anything it was that she was not hollow, she was not empty nor made of stone. Her heart beat her full of so many wonderful, overwhelming things. So maybe that’s why with a fist full of money and a brief whisper she bought a song from the minstrels in the corner, why she marched back to the tables with eyes burning into her, why she stood above them and pulled in a shaky breath.

“Molly... Molly would never be opposed to crying-“ She started, emotion jolting through each word. “He would not- but Molly- Over him?” She took another breath and closed her eyes, minstrels beginning their tune. “Molly would say there’s a time for that later, there’s a night to be had now.” Her eyes opened and she looked to her friends, this group of misfits she’d now found herself tied to. “Dance with me, for him; we have all the time in the world to miss and mourn him, let’s celebrate him while we can.” She was met with silence and stares from the rest of the nien, and silently she pleaded as a woman’s voice rang out through the tavern.

 

_“Of all the money that ere_ _I’ve_ _had,_ _I_ _spent it in good company. And all the harm that ere_ _I’ve_ _done_ _, alas it_ _was_ _to_ _none_ _but me.”_

“Please, just tonight.”

And that’s all it took.

Beauregard straightened in her seat, wiping at her eyes before slapping her hands on her lap with a last sniff.

“Right, time for that- fuck it-” She took a pause to compose herself and steady the shake in her voice before taking her mug and raising it high. “For that- fucking- bastard!” And with that she slammed her drink, clapping it back down on the table and standing. She gave a last squeeze to Jester’s shoulder before moving to stand with Yasha.

 

_“_ _And_ _all_ _I’ve_ _done, for want of wit, to memory now_ _I can’t_ _recall. So fill to me the parting glass, goodnight_ _and_ _joy be too you all.”_

Next to stand was Caleb, who also raised his glass before depositing on the table and joining the other two. Nott, with a squeeze to Jester’s hand, followed suit after a moment.

 

_“Of all the_ _comrades_ _that ere_ _I_ _had, their_ _sorry for_ _my going away._ _And_ _all the sweethearts that ere_ _I_ _had,_ _they’d_ _wish me one more day to stay.”_

 

A man’s voice called out sweetly.

Finally, Jester and Fjord stood; and together, hand in hand, they took their place among the mighty nien. As one they moved across the floor, filling the space the other patrons had cleared for them.

 

_“But since it fell unto my lot, that I should rise and you should not_ _,_ _I_ _gently rise and softly call, goodnight and joy be to you all.”_

And one by one they began to dance, as best as those with souls as heavy as theirs could. They twirled and moved and sang with tears in the corners of their eyes.The nien moved awkwardly, keeping to themselves before partnering and finally working as one. Beau and Yasha spun together in moves more akin to fighting than dancing, Jester and Fjord held each other quietly, and Caleb hunched low to hold Notts hands and move together. They switched purposefully or twirled into new partners but they let this flow move through them, what joy left in their hearts shining through to celebrate their dear Molly. Jester squealed as Beau spun her around the room, Caleb and Fjord laughed as they awkwardly but lightheartedly danced a brief waltz, and Nott climbed up Yasha who held her close as they moved. And it kept on, spinning and switching until everyone had danced their hearts to dust.

 

_“_ _So_ _fill to me the parting glass and_ _drink_ _a health_ _w_ _hatere befalls. And gently rise and softly call, goodnight and joy be to you all.”_

And somewhere, on some plane, Molly stood next to a raven cloaked figure and he watched his friends with a warm smile.

“Thank you for this. I... Well, I think I needed it.” The elf looked to the tiefling and offered a small smile.

“As did I Mollymauk...” The dark haired elf paused and took a breath he wasn’t sure if he really needed. “I am not stranger to leaving those I love on earth.”

“Please, it’s Molly to my friends.” At that Vax did smile genuinely, holding out his hand for Molly to place his gifts in. As soon as it was done Vax slipped the coat from one plane to another, blood stains wicking away as he did so, and slipped Molly’s parting gifts back in the coats place.

“You’re fast to make friends Molly,” He placed the coat on Molly’s shoulders, who grinned in turn, eyes never leaving the spinning forms of his friends. “I believe I understand why they’ll miss you so.”

Molly laughed then, in earnest. It was the first he’d done so since his departure.

“I tried not to get attached, I did- I used to live by that, suppose it can’t hurt to not die by it.” He smiled and still he watched his family spin and twirl and drink and laugh, he never stopped not even when tears clouded his red eyes. “I will miss them so much.”

 

_“So fill to me the parting glass and gather as the_ _evening_ _falls_ _. And gently rise and softly call, goodnight and joy be to you all.”_

As the night wound down and patrons cleared out, the mighty nien returned to their table and to their surprise found Molly’s coat gone but in its wake a gift sat waiting for each of them. A ring for Jester, a scrap of the robes Molly prayed over for Fjord, a missing card from the tarot deck for Beau, some sort of trinket or locket for Nott, a wand carved with unknown symbols for Caleb, and for Yasha, resting draped on her great sword, were the moon and sun charms on silver and gold chains waiting for her. Each took their gift and held it close, tucked it away, treasure to ponder that left entirely more questions than answers. 

Caduceus brought over a round along with the help of one of the barkeeps, making sure everyone had a mug in their hand. He paused as he handed Yasha her glass, watching her for a moment before smiling softly and nodding at her. Yasha, still reeling, watched him back and waited a moment before nodding to him as well, taking up his offered mug before raising it to the sky. 

"For Molly."

And a chorus rang out.

"For Molly!"

And somewhere, following the handsome, dark haired elf, Mollymauk Tealeaf sang into the night sky, stars shining as another joined them-

 

_Good_ _night_ _and joy be to you all._

**Author's Note:**

> This is heavily based on The Parting Glass covered by Peter Hollens along with The Hound + The Fox. I've cried too much over this song and over Mollymauk Tealeaf; and although he may not want us to, I invite you to do the same. Maybe combine reading this with listening to the song if you can, for the full effect. I know when I was writing it I had the song on repeat and only stopped crying to look up how to spell Tiefling. I'm handling this extremely well. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please leave a kudos or comment if you liked this piece (or if it ripped your heart out, that's good info to know too) and if you'd like to see more please subscribe!


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